Cleveland Guardians: 3 pitchers who could provide depth to the 2022 rotation

The injury bug was not kind to Cleveland’s starting pitchers in 2021. Here are three potential contributors for the rotation should 2022 be marred by similar health woes.

A full 162 games (or however many we end up getting in 2022) can take their toll on the most stalwart Major League Baseball players. Being a starter in the rotation can be one of the hardest loads to physically handle, with a myriad of different injuries downing pitchers each and every season across the baseball landscape.

Although the Cleveland Indians’ starting rotation looked to be well-stocked going into 2021, things failed to play out as well as hoped due to the injury bug forcing the likes of Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale into lengthy trips to the IL.

Coming in to 2022, things seem to be pointing in a positive direction, especially given the breakouts of Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie. We have to remember, however, that you can never have too much depth in the starting rotation. Let’s look at a couple of guys who could be crucial to keeping the rotation stocked in the coming season.

Eli Morgan: Experience and Poise

Eli Morgan was called up as the injuries began mounting in 2021. He came up through Cleveland’s system as a starter, journeying from Mahoning Valley in 2017 to Columbus by the start of 2021. His professional debut came on May 28 amidst little fanfare in comparison to recent call-ups (such as Triston McKenzie), and he would be rocked by Mother Nature and a swaggering Toronto Blue Jays lineup boasting the likes of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien. Even throughout his less-than-stellar pro debut with the Tribe, flashes of potential flickered in Morgan.

A more extended stay with the ball club would start in June, and Morgan would begin to find his footing at the professional level through the summer months. By season’s end, he would pitch 89 1/3 innings to the tune of a 5.34 ERA. Morgan would be victimized by twenty long balls, and would maintain a slightly below-average strikeout rate. He would, however, feature good command and a low walk-rate to boot.

Although the 2021 statistics may not look great on the surface, there is a lot that bodes well for Morgan’s future with Cleveland. Morgan dealt with a couple of rough outings early on, which inflated his ERA as he was getting acclimated to major-league batters. As he accumulated experience, good results would soon follow.

For reference, in the month of September (facing the Red Sox, Brewers, Yankees, and White Sox) Morgan went 2-1 with a 3.27 ERA. He had one bad outing against a surging Milwaukee, but managed to navigate a gauntlet of playoff-bound teams with poise and control.

Morgan was starting to settle into his own as 2021 concluded, and although he likely won’t immediately contribute in 2022, he is a great option as the sixth starter should the Guardians run into any injury quagmires. Having proven himself against major-league hitters and showcasing resilience as he began finding his footing, Morgan looks to be a key contributor for Cleveland at some point in the coming campaign.

Cody Morris: Next in the Pipeline

Cody Morris is a name that gathered quite a bit of attention as the Guardians transitioned into the offseason following the conclusion of the 2021 campaign. Morris was a big question mark to make the 40-man roster leading up to the crunch preceding the postponed MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft.  Ultimately, he would be added to protect him from pitching-hungry teams that likely would have taken him in a heartbeat following his solid 2021 season between Akron and Columbus.

Morris came to Cleveland as a 2018 seventh-round draft pick out of the University of South Carolina, where he excelled as a starting pitcher for the Gamecocks in the SEC. Morris collected a career total of 122 2/3 innings during his collegiate career, piecing together a 3.52 ERA during his two seasons. As a pitcher with decent weapons and good control of his pitches, he was the kind of college arm Cleveland often seeks to acquire and develop.

Morris started his professional career in Cleveland’s organization with the Lake County Captains in 2019, and would throw 45 innings to the tune of a 3.20 ERA. Upon a promotion to then-High-A Lynchburg, Morris would be tagged with a 5.52 ERA over 44 more innings to round out his first full season in the organization.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the mitigation efforts to curb the spread of the virus, Morris would lose his entire 2020 season, along with the rest of Minor League Baseball.

Coming into 2021, Morris projected to start at High-A or Double-A, ultimately ending up in Akron to get his season started. His stint with the RubberDucks would be successful, as he put together a solid stat line of three earned runs across his twenty innings, totaling a 1.35 ERA. By the beginning of August, Morris would be promoted to Triple-A Columbus, where he would continue to pitch well. Totaling 36 2/3 innings to end 2021, he would fashion a 1.72 ERA with the Clippers.

Looking forward at 2022, Morris is an extremely interesting option for the rotation should depth be needed. He features a low-to-mid ’90s four-seam fastball, as well as a good 12-6 curveball and fading changeup in his arsenal. Although his four-seamer could use some seasoning, he throws his curveball for strikes and has good movement on the change. He could potentially benefit from adding another iteration of his fastball or another breaking pitch, as well as working on pitching deeper into games to start this season (which he will presumably do in Columbus).

What is notable about Morris’ upside is good command of his pitches, his ability to avoid the long ball, and solid strikeout potential. Whether he can translate his career numbers in the minors to major-league success remains to be seen, but given his development from his time in Lynchburg through Columbus last season, there is plenty of reason for optimism should Morris be called up to lend crucial depth to the Guardians’ rotation in 2022.